CrandonWisconsinDowntown2US8WIS55WIS32, 2008
Crandon’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,833 in 1910, 1,713 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1965 on.
- 1881Crandon is settled
CrandonWI
A town of 1,726, settled in 1881.
Population
1,726
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$249K
+10% in a year
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
44.0
years
Jobs based here
679
Balanced
Is Crandon a good place to live?
The best of Crandon’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life and an A− for walkability; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Crandon, above both Wisconsin’s towns (6.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On incomes, just 1 of Wisconsin’s 879 towns do worse. Crandon's public schools trail 85% of Wisconsin towns on state tests and graduation. Only 48 of Wisconsin’s 869 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Forest County Forest, at 49 acres. Crandon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Crandon stand out
Where Crandon beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA+
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Crandon7.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical WI town3.8
Civic lifeA
85% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Wisconsin town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Crandon$249K
Wisconsin$337K
Cost of livingA
4.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 86% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A shrinking town
Crandon has shrunk 10% since 2010
1,920 counted in 2010 and 1,713 in 2020; an estimated 1,726 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Crandon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wisconsin), ordered by how far Crandon is from typical.
Jobs & income$43K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 5% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →HealthLess healthy than 85% of U.S. towns; Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital 22.8 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 8% of households have no car; 10.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trails; 1% conserved landB+Open →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life7.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Crandon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Crandon, and how to reach them.
PowerWisconsin Public Service17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCrandon Waterworks1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Crandon’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCity of Crandon ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5452054520 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Crandon.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Very low risk in Crandon, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Crandon since 2000.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2000
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthD
Crandon stands out in Wisconsin and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
19% of Crandon adults smoke cigarettes, above both the Wisconsin town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 33% of Crandon adults get no exercise outside work. Crandon beats the Wisconsin average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17.
15%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Crandon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 26% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Wisconsin
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Crandon | WI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.5% | 6.5% |
| More smokers | 18.9% | 13.6% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.5% | 3.4% |
Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital
22.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A
In Crandon, the median rent runs lower than in the typical Wisconsin or U.S. town
Crandon’s median rent is $654 a month. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026.
$249KZillow home value
| Crandon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $654 a month | $1,078 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 74% | 73% |
Typical home value
Crandon$249K
Wisconsin$337K
+10%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Crandon, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Crandon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Crandon is 78°F.
75″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–25°
Spring27–51°
Summer51–76°
Fall33–53°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Crandon has 0.9 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Crandon for work: only 16% work in town. Among 363 Wisconsin towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Crandon. Jobs based in Crandon fell to 679 in 2023, 60 fewer than in 2013.
16%work in town
| Crandon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Crandon16%
Lincoln20%
Nashville9%
Rhinelander5%
Wabeno5%
11 mi
median commute distance
679
jobs based in Crandon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Crandon
Crandon's reported crime rate is well below Wisconsin's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025.
| Crandon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Crandon0.6
Wisconsin2.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Crandon5.7
Wisconsin10.3
U.S.15.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB+
Crandon has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
4.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.8%conserved
| Crandon | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 3.8% | 4.3% |
0.8%
conserved · 32 of 3,941 acres
4.4 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forest County Forest | — | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Crandon
19pages on Crandon
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 85% of WI districtsSafety0.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than WI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$249K typical home · up 10% in a yearWork & commuteD−$43K median household income · 679 jobs hereNatural hazardsA+FEMA risk higher than 5% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Crandon; the nearest are
Nicolet Area Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rhinelander25.8 mi$4,793 in-state tuitionUniversity of Wisconsin-Stevens PointUniversity or college · Public · Stevens Point79 mi$9,488 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Crandon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
About Crandon
City in Wisconsin, United States
Crandon is a city in Forest County, Wisconsin, United States; it is in the northeastern part of the state, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Green Bay. The population was 1,713 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Forest County and is the only incorporated community in the county. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Crandon.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,627 ft
- ZIP code
- 54520
Crandon’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Crandon.
LincolnCrandonCrandon
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crandon · Crandon | — | — | A | — | C− | D |
| Lincoln | — | — | A− | — | C− | D |
Crandon and Lincoln have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Crandon and Lincoln report no FBI crime data of their own. Crandon and Crandon are one community, graded once. Compare Crandon with a neighbor →
Questions about Crandon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Crandon, WI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Crandon, WI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Alexander H. Smith and Armin Landeck.